Every-Thing Sports

Jermaine Every: What is your go-to food for a big sporting event?

Jermaine Every
Apr 18, 2018, 5:37 am
Pizza is a go-to for many of Houston's sports talk hosts. CultureMap Houston

“Big time game? Big time food.”

The Final Four is upon us! The Houston Astros are set to defend their World Series title! The Houston Rockets have all but secured the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs! It’s a great time to be a sports fan. Cinderellas, underdogs, titans of sport, up and comers alike are all vying for your attention on some of sports’ grandest stages.

As you settle in to watch a big game, what do you have in front of you to eat? This is something that can be a full-blown discussion/argument, or as easy as picking up/cooking your go-to meal. I was hanging around the palatial Gow Media offices waiting to record The Sideline podcast (Craig Koshkin and I record it weekly), and as my randomness goes, that question popped into my head.

As I started discussing it with some of the people around the office and studios, I figured the public would like to know what some of their favorite personalities like to eat when they settled into their favorite spots to watch their teams play or any big game. Here’s what I found out (presented in order of who was around and who was asked/responded first so don’t get butt-hurt or jump to conclusions):

Personality

Food

Tyler Scott

Wings, nachos, or barbeque

Jong Lee

Pizza

Fred Faour

Before latest doctor visits: pizza and wings

After latest doctor visits: celery and hummus

A.J. Hoffman

Wings

Craig Koshkin

Wings or barbeque

Lance Zierlein

Shawarma because it’s close

Brandon Strange

Pizza

Jose Partida

Pizza

Raheel Ramzanali

Chicken pesto pizza from New York Pizzeria

Del Olaleye

His team plays: nothing, too nervous

Any other team plays: wings

John Granato

Wings and fries

Joel Blank

Pizza, or fajitas, or queso and chips, etc

Barry Laminack

Nachos

Nick Sharara

Wings, but fajitas are a close second

Jermaine Every (me)

Tacos, wings, pizza, chips and dip

Couple things you may deduce from looking at this chart: 1) most of us can’t pick just one thing; 2) pizza and wings dominated the list; and 3) some of us have a specific reason why or why not. Other takeaways I noticed were: Raheel is a man of very specific taste; Lance went the convenient route; Del’s choice is based on mood; Fred has medical reasons; and I literally try to eat all of those things at once because I’m a fat ass until my wife gives me “the look” (married couples know what I’m talking about).

This was a fun article to write. I hope to do a follow-up soon and get the opinions of some of the folks behind the scenes, and maybe even some of you guys. So if you’re reading this and have a go-to food/s, hit me on Twitter, Instagram, or FaceBook and give me your suggestions. You never know. You may end up in a future article!

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THURSDAY, APRIL 15

49ers RB Austin Walter gives back to Crosby H.S. with Night of Champions

Walter will host The Night of Champions. Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images.

In 2014, Austin Walter rushed for 2,704 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior at Crosby High School. Despite falling short of a state title, Walter was named District 19-4A MVP and finished his prep career with a little over 6,000 rushing yards on 613 carries (6,062 yds). Seven years later, Walter will be returning to his high school alma mater to give back to the community that laid the foundation for an NFL career as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

"It's a blessing to be able to come from a small town and be one of the guys who made it out," Walter said. "Not a lot of people made it to the NFL or the NBA from Crosby High School. To be one of the first, it's an amazing feeling. It's a blessing and an honor."

On Thursday, April 15, Walter will host The Night of Champions to benefit the Crosby High School Booster Club from 6-9 p.m. The event will be a weight lifting competition at Crosby High School for student-athletes around the area to showcase their talents and abilities.

In addition to hosting a weight lifting showcase, Walter will also share his life teachings with student-athletes in attendance. Perseverance and not taking no for an answer will be one of the most vital messages the Crosby native will share with aspiring pro-athletes. It's the two virtues Walter has leaned on from little league football to the NFL. And as an undrafted prospect in 2019, it was that same morale that helped him outshine six other running backs during the 49ers rookie training camp that same year.

"Before I started playing football in high school, a lot of people thought I was too small," Walter said. "They thought because we played little league and not in middle school we would not make it in high school. My twin brother [Ashton Walter] and I did not listen to that. We just kept pushing forward."

"When I left Rice, people thought I was going to play in the Canadian league or AFF, and I did not take no for an answer. I believed in myself. And I believed in God. And if I can make it out of a small town like Crosby, anybody can make it...It's the mentality I've had my entire life of not quitting. I feel like that is what got me to the point I am at right now."

Whether their life goal is to play in the NFL or not, Walter's primary objective for The Night of Champions is to be an inspiration and show kids they can find success despite their environment. It is one of the things the former XFL running back (Dallas Renegades) wished he would have seen growing up in Crosby.

After graduating from Crosby High School, Walter went on to have a record-breaking collegiate career at Rice University. He became one of two players in school history to rush for over 1,500 yards (1,744 yds.) and 1,000 kick return yards (1,548 yds.) in four seasons with the Owls. In February, Walter signed a one-year contract extension to re-join the 49ers ahead of the 2021 NFL season.

Click here to learn more about The Night of Champions at Crosby High School or support Walter and the Crosby High School Booster Club.

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